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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

MALL BATTLE ROYALE FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR

Retail competition will heat up this week as giant
retailers try to entice shoppers during Chinese New Year celebrations.

Central Department Store (CDS), The Mall Group, Future
Park Rangsit, Big C Supercenter, Siam Piwat and Robinson Department Store will
spend combined budgets of 200 million baht on their
promotions. It is projected over 10 billion baht will
circulate during the festival.

Chamnarn Maytaprechakul, senior chief marketing officer
of The Mall, said the group is spending over 50 million
baht at its branches (The Mall, The Emporium and Paragon) from Jan 12 to Feb 5. The 25-day
event is expected to generate 3.5 billion baht in sales.

Piyawan Leelasompop, vice-president for marketing of CDS,
said it increased its budget for the period by 15% to 80 million baht. Customers have a chance to win a 2.5-million-baht
Audi car with every 1,500 baht in purchases and a 5% discount for every 2,000-baht purchase.
The company expects its sales for the Chinese New Year at all 15
branches nationwide will reach 2.6 billion baht, up from 2.4 billion last year.

Jittinan Wanglee, vice-president of Rangsit Plaza Co, the
operator of Future Park Rangsit, said the company plans to spend 300-350
million baht on its marketing activities this year including the 10-million-baht
Golden phenomenon of Henan from Jan 20-29.

It expects visitors to rise by 20%
from 150,000 per day during the campaign.

Phattaraporn Phenpraphat, vice-president for marketing
and public relations of Central Food Retail, the operator of Tops Supermarket,
said it is spending 20 million baht for its campaign from
Jan 11-Feb 11.

CFR expects sales during the period will grow by 20-25% or 500 million baht per week.